Social comparison is a common behavior that largely determines people’s experience of decision outcome. Previous research has showed that interpersonal relationship plays a pivotal role in social comparison. In the current study, we investigated whether the manipulation of context-based relationship would affect participants’ comparison of self-outcome and other-outcome. Participants first finished a trust game with likeable (dislikeable) partner and then they were involved in a gambling task and observed the outcomes for themselves and for partners. According to self-reports, participants were more satisfied with likeable partner’s gains than losses only when they received gains, but they were always more satisfied with dislikeable player’s losses compared to gains. Event-related potentials including the feedback-related negativity (FRN), P3 and late positive component (LPC) were sensitive to context-based relationship. Specifically, the prediction error signal (indexed by the FRN) was largest when participants received losses but dislikeable player received gains. Meanwhile, the P3 indicates that participants had stronger motivation to outperform dislikeable player. Finally, the LPC was larger when participants received the same outcomes with dislikeable players. In general, our results support the key point of the self-evaluation maintenance model that personal closeness modulates subjective sensitivity when drawing a comparison of one’s outcomes with other’s outcomes.

中文翻译：

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基于情境的人际关系调节结果之间的社会比较：与事件相关的潜在研究

社会比较是一种普遍的行为，在很大程度上决定了人们对决策结果的体验。以往的研究表明，人际关系在社会比较中起着举足轻重的作用。在目前的研究中，我们调查了基于情境的关系的操纵是否会影响参与者对自我结果和其他结果的比较。参与者首先与喜欢（不喜欢）的伴侣完成信任游戏，然后他们参与赌博任务，并为自己和伴侣观察结果。根据自我报告，只有在获得收益时，参与者才会对喜欢的伙伴的收益比损失更满意，但与收益相比，他们总是对不喜欢的玩家的损失更满意。事件相关电位，包括反馈相关负性（FRN），P3 和晚期阳性成分 (LPC) 对基于上下文的关系很敏感。具体来说，当参与者遭受损失但不喜欢的玩家获得收益时，预测误差信号（由 FRN 索引）最大。同时，P3 表明参与者有更强的动机来超越不喜欢的玩家。最后，当参与者收到与不喜欢的玩家相同的结果时，LPC 更大。总的来说，我们的结果支持自我评估维护模型的关键点，即在比较自己的结果与他人的结果时，个人亲密度会调节主观敏感性。当参与者遭受损失但不喜欢的玩家获得收益时，预测误差信号（由 FRN 索引）最大。同时，P3 表明参与者有更强的动机来超越不喜欢的玩家。最后，当参与者收到与不喜欢的玩家相同的结果时，LPC 更大。总的来说，我们的结果支持自我评估维护模型的关键点，即在比较自己的结果与他人的结果时，个人亲密度会调节主观敏感性。当参与者遭受损失但不喜欢的玩家获得收益时，预测误差信号（由 FRN 索引）最大。同时，P3 表明参与者有更强的动机来超越不喜欢的玩家。最后，当参与者收到与不喜欢的玩家相同的结果时，LPC 更大。总的来说，我们的结果支持自我评估维护模型的关键点，即在比较自己的结果与他人的结果时，个人亲密度会调节主观敏感性。